Untitled for now
by XTwerdX
Summary: Something strange has happened. The order have been given a book about harry and along with the newly freed Sirius black,Harry Potter, the weasley clan and maybye Hermione they read it.
1. Order meeting

The summer sun was setting across the lake in Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry. Albus Dumbledore sat at his desk in his office at Hogwarts. He was preparing for a meeting. It had been eleven years since the Order of the Phoenix had a need to meet. Though any threat was long gone they still felt the need to hold these meetings in secret . Tonight they were recruiting new members. Dumbledore and several other teachers were concerned about the situation between Lord Voldemort and the philosopher's stone. Finalising some details on the stone's protection and debating whether or not to inform the order about it. Still undecided there was a knock at his door. "Enter" he said softly.

First to enter unsurprisingly was Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape who were currently residing in Hogwarts for the summer holidays. Slowly members began to pile into Dumbledore's office. There was Remus Lupin, Alastor Moody, Arthur Weasley, Molly Weasley and two of the order's newest members Nymphadora Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt. For the occasion a long wooden table had been added to Dumbledore's office. After everybody had settled Dumbledore greeted everybody. "Greeting Fellow order members. It has been a long time since we have had to have a meeting." "Is it really necessary" cried Molly, fear laced on her face. "My dear it is just for precautions" Dumbledore soothed her. "First of all welcome to our newest members Nymphadora Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt" "It's Tonks" she muttered in frustration. Dumbledore continued "Secondly..."

There was a thump as a man landed on the grounded. The man had long greasy matted black hair and a pale waxy sunken face that had a look of complete shock. "Sirius Black" roared Moody and Molly screamed. Several people tried to get him. As all the commotion was going on Scabbers who had been in Arthur's pocketed leapt out and made for the door like a rocket. Sirius darted after him and managed to grab the rat around the middle. "How did you come to join us this evening Sirius?" Dumbledore asked in a calm curious voice though his bright blue eyes had lost their sparkle. They now had Sirius tied up to a chair and everybody was glaring at him. "Beats the hell out of me. One minute I was sitting in my cell and the next I landed here" as he spoke he remained a strong grip on the rat. Molly Weasley was horrified this murder had her son's rat! Remus Lupin stared at Sirius with a mixture of loathing betrayal and sadness. Sirius seeing this as his chance to explain told the story from the start, starting with when Lily and James switched Secret Keeper and ending with what Peter did. Everybody was suspicious. "Prove it" barked Moody. Sirius told Dumbledore to force the rat to change. To everybody's' astonishment Peter Pettigrew appeared before their eyes. Remus jumped up quickly and untied his bonds and embraced him. Meanwhile Dumbledore, Snape and Kingsley locked peter up in a room sealing it with enchantments.

"We will go to the Ministry of Magic as soon as possible and explain the current situation to them. Though that still does not explain how or why you are here." Suddenly a book landed with a thump on Sirius' head. He uttered a low oath that made Molly scold him. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone" Sirius read. "What the heck. Does that mean prongslet? "It must" exclaimed Lupin. After the book was examined and checked for curses it was decided that they would read the book in two days time. First of all Dumbledore will bring Sirius to the ministry and get him a full pardon and then Sirius would need to require a wand. "I have an idea about what this book is about but I think we should read it." Stated Dumbledore "I will bring Harry along too as I think he has a right to be there." Sirius and Remus could hardly contain themselves when they heard they would be seeing Harry again. "Until then be safe" Dumbledore bade them goodnight as excited and suspicious order members filed out of his office.


	2. The Boy who lived

**The Boy Who Lived **

**A/N **_Thanks to __twilightgirl1590, Twilightwithlove and SareRide9 for reviewing. Sorry if it is confusing. I had to change some things This is just after Hagrid takes Harry to Diagon Alley during the summer before Harry's first year. The reason there was an order meeting was because Dumbledore was worried about Voldemort tying to get the stone. Sorry if anything sounds familiar, I have read a lot of these stories. _

Excited order members filed into Dumbledore's large circular office where the table had been replaced with a number of couches. Sirius black looked much better than ever though his face was still quite pale and sunken. Snape looked surly at being there as he was forced by the headmaster. Lupin looked delighted at having his old friend back. Tonks, McGonagall, Kinsley, Moody, Arthur, Molly and their seven kids; Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, Ron and Ginny were also there. Harry Potter was also their looking around nervously. Ginny Weasley was gazing at him in wonder and when he caught her she blushed furiously and looked away. Sirius who saw the exchange nudged Remus said fondly "Do you remember a certain red head girl and a messy haired boy?" Harry had been introduced to Sirius and Remus. They seemed to really like him. Something which made Harry believe that this was all a joke; no one was ever nice to him. After everybody had been introduced and Molly had fussed over Harry, Dumbledore began.

"**The Boy Who Lived**

Everybody stared at Harry, who was feeling quite self conscious

**Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such ****nonsense. **

"They sound Interesting" Fred said with a grin.

"As interesting as school" George added with a laugh. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. All the children and Sirius laughed while McGonagall and Molly glared. Sirius bark like laugh shocked him. He hadn't laughed in nearly eleven years.

**Mr. Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills. He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large moustache.**

"Attractive" snorted Snape. Ginny let out a giggle. Snape shot her a look that silenced her immediately. Bill put an arm protectively around her shoulder.

**Mrs. Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the neighbours. **

"Do they really look like that?" Ron asked in disbelieve. How could anyone be that ugly?

Harry nodded his head shyly. He knew this boy was going to be in his year and he desperately wanted friends but there was no way some as cool and who had come from a family of wizards would want to be friends with someone as uncool as him.

**The Dursleys had a small son called Dudley and in their opinion there was no finer boy anywhere. **

Harry rolled his eyes. Dumbledore watched him closely and frowned.

**The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and their greatest fear was that somebody would discover it. They didn't think they could bear it if anyone found out about the Potters. **

"There is nothing wrong with the potters!" exclaimed Remus.

"Yes there definitely is!"

"Shut up Snivellus"

**Mrs. Potter was Mrs. Dursley's sister, but they hadn't met for several years; in fact, Mrs. Dursley pretended she didn't have a sister,**

Harry looked really upset about this. Sirius put a comforting arm around Harry. Though he didn't know this man he was comforted by him. Harry gave him a small smile. Snape looked like he was going to murder Petunia.

**because her sister and her good-for-nothing husband were as unDursleyish**

"That's not even a word. They are such Nitwits!" murmured McGonagall. Everybody stared at her impressed. Her cheeks coloured a little .

"**as**** it was possible to be. The Dursleys shuddered to think what the neighbors would say if the Potters arrived in the street. The Dursleys knew that the Potters had a small son, too, but they had never even seen him. This boy was another good reason for **

**When Mr. and Mrs. Dursley woke up on the dull, gray Tuesday our story starts, there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country. Mr. Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work, and Mrs. Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair. **

"Spoilt Brat. You would never catch any of mine doing that" Molly declared

"Don't think about it Fred" she warned without looking at him.

**None of them noticed a large, tawny owl flutter past the window. **

"Muggles" Arthur chuckled.

**At half past eight, Mr. Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs. Dursley on the cheek, and tried to kiss Dudley good-bye but missed, because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the walls.**

"For merlins sake"

"**Little tyke," chortled Mr. Dursley as he left the house. He got into his car and backed out of number four's drive. **

**It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar — a cat reading a map. **

"Yes he has gone insane!" announced Sirius. A few people laughed but they were looking at him warily. He sighed; they were treating him as though he was a murder.

**For a second, Mr. Dursley didn't realize what he had seen — then he jerked his head around to look again. There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn't a map in sight. What could he have been thinking of? It must have been a trick of the light. Mr. Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back. As Mr. Dursley drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror. It was now reading the sign that said Privet Drive — no, **_**looking **_**at the sign; cats couldn't read maps **_**or **_**signs. **

"I bet it's you professor" Remus said to McGonagall.

"How on earth would you know?" questioned Kingsley. He had always thought Remus was sensible.

"I just Know, I was in detention with her enough times."

"Alright I'll take you up on the bet, two galleons?"

"Deal"

**Mr. Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind. As he drove toward town he thought of nothing except a large order of drills he was hoping to get that day. **

"One track mind"

**But on the edge of town, drills were driven out of his mind by something else. As he sat in the usual morning traffic jam, he couldn't help noticing that there seemed to be a lot of strangely dressed people about. People in cloaks. **

"That's not strange at all" said Charlie

"Muggles don't generally wear cloaks Mr Weasley." Dumbledore informed him.

"Right" Charlie blushed at being addressed by his old headmaster.

**Mr. Dursley couldn't bear people who dressed in funny clothes — the getups you saw on young people! He supposed this was some stupid new fashion. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and his eyes fell on a huddle of these weirdoes standing quite close by. They were whispering excitedly together.**

"They should be more careful. Expose us all they will! Constant Vigilance."

**Mr. Dursley was enraged to see that a couple of them weren't young at all; why, that man had to be older than he was, and wearing an emerald-green cloak! The nerve of him! But then it struck Mr. Dursley that this was probably some silly stunt —these people were obviously collecting for something… yes, that would be it. **

"Yeah, that's really what it is."

**The traffic moved on and a few minutes later, Mr. Dursley arrived in the Grunnings parking lot, his mind back on drills. **

**Mr. Dursley always sat with his back to the window in his office on the ninth floor. If he hadn't, he might have found it harder to concentrate on drills that morning. **_**He **_**didn't see the owls swooping past in broad daylight, though people down in the street did; they pointed and gazed open-mouthed as owl after owl sped overhead.**

"Now really. " McGonagall looked annoyed.

**Most of them had never seen an owl even at night time. Mr. Dursley, however, had a perfectly normal, owl-free morning. He yelled at five different people. He made several important telephone calls and shouted a bit more. **

"Very productive day" snorted Tonks.

**He was in a very good mood until lunchtime, when he thought he'd stretch his legs and walk across the road to buy himself a bun from the bakery. **

"Won't do much good for you."

"Bill" screeched Molly. Everybody laughed except the Weasleys who knew firsthand what Molly was like when she got angry.

"Sorry mum" Bill was quick to apologise.

**He'd forgotten all about the people in cloaks until he passed a group of them next to the baker's. He eyed them angrily as he passed. He didn't know why, but they made him uneasy. **

"Ha I'll give you something to feel uneasy about." Sirius threatened while Remus nodded his head in agreement.

He looked down at Harry who had been very quiet; he wondered what the Dursleys had done to him and if it was bad God help him he would have a reason to be back in Azkaban.

**This bunch were whispering excitedly, too, and he couldn't see a single collecting tin. It was on his way back past them, clutching a large doughnut in a bag, that he caught a few words of what they were saying. **

"**The Potters, that's right, that's what I heard —" **

Remusand Sirius were grieved to hear the name of their best friends**.**

" — **yes, their son, Harry —" **

Again everybody looked at harry.

**Mr. Dursley stopped dead. **

"Yeah!"

"Ronald!"

"Sorry!"

**Fear flooded him. He looked back at the whisperers as if he wanted to say something to them, but thought better of it. **

**He dashed back across the road, hurried up to his office, snapped at his secretary not to disturb him, seized his telephone,**

"What's a telephone?" asked Percy

"Oh it is a muggle device used for communication." Grinned Mr Weasley.

**and had almost finished dialing his home number when he changed his mind. He put the receiver back down and stroked his mustache, thinking… no, he was being stupid.**

"Nothing new there."

"Black"

"Sorry professor."

**Potter wasn't such an unusual name. He was sure there were lots of people called Potter who had a son called Harry. Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure his nephew **_**was **_**called Harry. **

Everybody glared at the book.

"Imagine not even knowing your nephews name" muttered Kingsley, about to continue complain about these Dursleys when he saw the depressed look on Harry's face.

**He'd never even seen the boy. It might have been Harvey. Or Harold. **

**There was no point in worrying Mrs. Dursley; she always got so upset at any mention of her sister. He didn't blame her — if **_**he'd **_**had a sister like that… **

Snape looked positively livid but no one noticed except for Dumbledore who looked at him in worry.

"There was nothing wrong with Lily! She was one of the smartest witches ever!" ranted Remus.

Harry's head popped up in interest. He never heard about his parents and he always wondered what they were like,

**but all the same, those people in cloaks… **

"Are the best people you will ever meet!"

**He found it a lot harder to concentrate on drills that afternoon and when he left the building at five o'clock, he was still so worried that he walked straight into someone just outside the door.**

"Did he kill him?" Inquired George,

"Yeah squashed him to death" added Fred.

"**Sorry," he grunted, as the tiny old man stumbled and almost fell. It was a few seconds before Mr. Dursley realized that the man was wearing a violet cloak. He didn't seem at all upset at being almost knocked to the ground. On the contrary, his face split into a wide smile and he said in a squeaky voice that made passersby stare, "Don't be sorry, my dear sir, for nothing could upset me today! Rejoice, for You-Know-Who has gone at last.**

McGonagall tutted and shook her head at his stupidity.

**Even Muggles like yourself should be celebrating, this happy, happy day!" **

**And the old man hugged Mr. Dursley around the middle and walked off.**

"And his arms fit around him?" asked Tonks in disbelief.

"**Mr****. Dursley stood rooted to the spot. He had been hugged by a complete stranger. He also thought he had been called a Muggle, whatever that was. He was rattled. He hurried to his car and set off for home, hoping he was imagining things, which he had never hoped before, because he didn't approve of imagination. **

"Well that's a shocker" murmured Snape.

**As he pulled into the driveway of number four, the first thing he saw—and it didn't improve his mood — was the tabby cat he'd spotted that morning. **

"Go McGonagall"

**It was now sitting on his garden wall. He was sure it was the same one; it had the same markings around its eyes. **

"**Shoo!" said Mr. Dursley loudly.**

"Not going to work" singsonged Sirius.

**The cat didn't move. It just gave him a stern look.**

"That is so McGonagall!"Said Remus looking smug.

Kingsley looked over at McGonagall and judging by the stern look she was giving Remus, he was probably right.

"** Was this normal cat behaviour? Mr. Dursley wondered. Trying to pull himself together, he let himself into the house. He was still determined not to mention anything to his wife. **

**Mrs. Dursley had had a nice, normal day. She told him over dinner all about Mrs. Next Door's problems with her daughter and how Dudley had learned a new word ("Won't!"). Mr. Dursley tried to act normally. When Dudley had been put to bed, he went into the living room in time to catch the last report on the evening news: **

"_**And finally, bird-watchers everywhere have reported that the nation's owls have been behaving very unusually today. Although owls normally hunt at night and are hardly ever seen in daylight, there have been hundreds of sightings of these birds flying in every direction since sunrise. Experts are unable to explain why the owls have suddenly changed their sleeping pattern." The newscaster allowed himself a grin. "Most mysterious. And now, over to Jim McGuffin with the weather. Going to be any more showers of owls tonight, Jim?" **_

"_**Well, Ted," said the weatherman, "I don't know about that, but it's not only the owls that have been acting oddly today. Viewers as far apart as Kent, Yorkshire, and Dundee have been phoning in to tell me that instead of the rain I promised yesterday, they've had a downpour of shooting stars! Perhaps people have been celebrating Bonfire Night early — it's not until next week, folks! But I can promise a wet night tonight." **_

**Mr. Dursley sat frozen in his armchair. Shooting stars all over Britain? Owls flying by daylight? Mysterious people in cloaks all over the place? And a whisper, a whisper about the Potters…**

"If idiots like him can figure it out, we really have to be more careful." Stated Percy

"Good boy. Constant vigilance as I always say." Moody gave Percy an appreciative look, "You'll do well in the ministry." Percy flushed with pride.

Moody continued " Don' get caught up in power and glory"

Percy nodded his head earnestly.

**Mrs. Dursley came into the living room carrying two cups of tea. It was no good. He'd have to say something to her. He cleared his throat nervously. "Er — Petunia, dear — you haven't heard from your sister lately, have you?"**

**As he had expected, Mrs. Dursley looked shocked and angry. After all, they normally pretended she didn't have a sister. **

"That is horrible" said Harry softly. He knows what it feels like to be ignored.

Everybody looked at him sadly. Molly was nearly in tears. Dumbledore was becoming increasingly concerned; he wondered how the Dursleys treated Harry.

"**No," she said sharply. "Why?" **

"**Funny stuff on the news," Mr. Dursley mumbled. "Owls… shooting stars… and there were a lot of funny-looking people in town today…" **

"_**So?**_**" snapped Mrs. Dursley. **

"**Well, I just thought… maybe… it was something to do with… you know… **_**her **_**crowd." **

"Her crowd, what's that suppose to mean?" exclaimed Bill angrily.

"I think it means witches and wizards," Fred answered. With a sickly sweet smile on his face,

"I knew that," Bill rolled his eyes.

Dumbledore watched this scene in amusement before continuing to read.

"** Mrs. Dursley sipped her tea through pursed lips. Mr. Dursley wondered whether he dared tell her he'd heard the name "Potter." He decided he didn't dare. Instead he said, as casually as he could, "Their son — he'd be about Dudley's age now, wouldn't he?" **

"**I suppose so," said Mrs. Dursley stiffly. **

"**What's his name again? Howard, isn't it?" **

"**Harry. Nasty, common name, if you ask me."**

"I think it's a lovely name," Molly said.

"Thanks" said an embarrassed Harry. He didn't know if he wanted to read this book, They are only on chapter one and he has already been embarrassed so many times.

"**Oh, yes," said Mr. Dursley, his heart sinking horribly. "Yes, I quite agree." **

**He didn't say another word on the subject as they went upstairs to bed. While Mrs. Dursley was in the bathroom, Mr. Dursley crept to the bedroom window and peered down into the front garden. The cat was still there. It was staring down Privet Drive as though it were waiting for something. **

"What are you waiting on Professor?" asked Remus.

"Be quite Mr Lupin."

A terrified look crossed Remus' face. Sirius smirked and laughed.

"You to Mr Black"

Sirius was silent immediately.

**Was he imagining things? Could all this have anything to do with the Potters? If it did… if it got out that they were related to a pair of — well, he didn't think he could bear it. **

**The Dursleys got into bed. Mrs. Dursley fell asleep quickly but Mr. Dursley lay awake, turning it all over in his mind. His last, comforting thought before he fell asleep was that even if the Potters **_**were **_**involved, there was no reason for them to come near him and Mrs. Dursley. The Potters knew very well what he and Petunia thought about them and their kind… He couldn't see how he and Petunia could get mixed up in anything that might be going on — he yawned and turned over — it couldn't affect **_**them**_**… **

**How very wrong he was. **

"Ooh that sounds bad! Ron said.

"Why not, they deserved to be troubled?" said Ginny.

"I just have a bad feeling," he said, sneaking a look at Harry.

Sirius looked down at his godson and became very concerned.

**Mr. Dursley might have been drifting into an uneasy sleep, but the cat on the wall outside was showing no sign of sleepiness. It was sitting as still as a statue, its eyes fixed unblinkingly on the far corner of Privet Drive. It didn't so much as quiver when a car door slammed on the next street, nor when two owls swooped overhead. In fact, it was nearly midnight before the cat moved at all.**

"I still don't think it's her " Kingsley said hopefully.

"Has to be her, no cat sits that still," Sirius said.

**A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the ground. The cat's tail twitched and its eyes narrowed. **

**Nothing like this man had ever been seen on Privet Drive. He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. This man's name was Albus Dumbledore. **

"Ha it's you Professor. We would never have guessed." Fred and George feigned shock.

**Albus Dumbledore didn't seem to realize that he had just arrived in a street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome.**

Did you know that Professor?" laughed Sirius

"I do now" Chuckled Dumbledore.

**He was busy rummaging in his cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to realize he was being watched, because he looked up suddenly at the cat, which was still staring at him from the other end of the street. For some reason, the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him. He chuckled and muttered, "I should have known." **

**He found what he was looking for in his inside pocket. It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air, and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop. **

"Cool, I want one!"Ginny exclaimed.

"They are rather handy, Ms Weasley." Said Dumbledore.

Despite her embarrassment Ginny questioned him further. "Did you event it yourself, sir? I've never heard of one before. What is it called?"

Dumbledore answered all her questions. "Well you certainly have an inquisitive mind. I look forward to having you in school next year.

Arthur and Molly beamed proudly while the twins rolled their eyes.

**He clicked it again — the next lamp flickered into darkness. Twelve times he clicked the Put-Outer, until the only lights left on the whole street were two tiny pinpricks in the distance, which were the eyes of the cat watching him. If anyone looked out of their window now, even beady-eyed Mrs. Dursley, they wouldn't be able to see anything that was happening down on the pavement. Dumbledore slipped the Put-Outer back inside his cloak and set off down the street toward number four, where he sat down on the wall next to the cat. He didn't look at it, but after a moment he spoke to it. **

"**Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall." **

"Yes!" Remus cheered. "Pay up!"

Grumbling Kingsley handed over his winnings.

**He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone. Instead he was smiling at a rather severe-looking woman who was wearing square glasses exactly the shape of the markings the cat had had around its eyes. She, too, was wearing a cloak, an emerald one. Her black hair was drawn into a tight bun. She looked distinctly ruffled. "How did you know it was me?" she asked. **

"Who else would it be?" Sirius scoffed.

"**My dear Professor, I've never seen a cat sit so stiffly." **

"**You'd be stiff if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day," said Professor McGonagall. **

"No one asked you to be there," Sirius said.

"I had a very good reason." Said a disgruntled McGonagall "Now shut up or I will give you detention."

"You can't give me detention."

"do you want to try me ?" her look was so severe even Snape and Dumbledore cringed.

"Sorry professor?"

"**All day? When you could have been celebrating? I must have passed a dozen feasts and parties on my way here." **

McGonagall sniffed"And none of them cared if we got noticed my muggles!"

**Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily. **

"**Oh yes, everyone's celebrating, all right," she said impatiently. "You'd think they'd be a bit more careful, but no — even the Muggles have noticed something's going on. It was on their news." **

"They were being a bit careless," Arthur said. "You can't really blame them " shrugged Tonks."I mean the day Voldemort (the Weasleys shuttered at his name.) went was the best day of their lives"

"How would you know?" Sirius challenged her "You weren't even born."

He ever so sophisticated reply was to stick out her tongue.

She was glad Sirius was there. She remembered how much fun he was when she was younger and she missed him dearly when he went away. She hoped she could get to know him again and they could become close.

**She jerked her head back at the Dursleys' dark living-room window. "I heard it. Flocks of owls… shooting stars… Well, they're not completely stupid. They were bound to notice something. Shooting stars down in Kent — I'll bet that was Dedalus Diggle. **

" Never had much sense." Snape said. Sirius nodded his head and than realising he was agreeing with Snape stopped.

**He never had much sense." **

"**You can't blame them," said Dumbledore gently. "We've had precious little to celebrate for eleven years." **

"It was horrible time" Molly sobbed. Arthur tried to soothe her by rubbing her hair. Kingsley, Sirius, McGonagall, Remus, Snape and Dumbledore agreed. Tonks, Bill and Charlie were just old enough to remember also looked quit gloom. The younger children in the room all looked thoughtful.

"**I know that," said Professor McGonagall irritably. "But that's no reason to lose our heads. People are being downright careless, out on the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes, swapping rumours." **

**She threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore here, as though hoping he was going to tell her something, but he didn't, so she went on. "A fine thing it would be if, on the very day You-Know-Who seems to have disappeared at last, the Muggles found out about us all. I suppose he really **_**has **_**gone, Dumbledore?" **

"**It certainly seems so," said Dumbledore. **

"Thank God," Molly said and everyone nodded.

"**We have much to be thankful for. Would you care for a lemon drop?"**

All the wizards in the room look puzzled but all the half bloods and muggleborns laughed.

"I love them" said Hary. He didn't mention that he only ever had them once.

"**A **_**what**_**?" **

"**A lemon drop. They're a kind of Muggle sweet I'm rather fond of." **

"**No, thank you," said Professor McGonagall coldly, as though she didn't think this was the moment for lemon drops. "As I say, even if You-Know-Who **_**has **_**gone —" **

"**My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like yourself can call him by his name? All this 'You-Know-Who' nonsense — for eleven years I have been trying to persuade people to call him by his proper name: **_**Voldemort**_**."**

**Professor McGonagall flinched, but Dumbledore, who was unsticking two lemon drops, seemed not to notice. "It all gets so confusing if we keep saying 'You-Know-Who.' I have never seen any reason to be frightened of saying Voldemort's name." "I know you haven't," said Professor McGonagall, sounding half exasperated, half admiring. "But you're different. Everyone knows you're the only one You-Know- oh, all right, **_**Voldemort**_**, was frightened of." **

"**You flatter me," said Dumbledore calmly. "Voldemort had powers I will never have." **

"Only because he is too noble to use them," Tonks said.

"**Only because you're too — well —**_**noble **_**to use them." **

"Okay that was weird," Tonks muttered.

"**It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey told me she liked my new earmuffs." **

"Sir, you dog!" teased Fred.

"Fred" screeched Molly horrified "Don't be so disrespectful!"

Sirius, Remus, Tonks and Kingsley were in fits of laughter. Moody smiled and even Snape snorted.

**Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said, "The owls are nothing next to the **_**rumors **_**that are flying around. You know what they're saying? About why he's disappeared? About what finally stopped him?" **

There was a sharp intake of breathe from Sirius and Remus. Everybody else looked glum especially Harry who had been told the story by Hagrid a few days ago.

**It seemed that Professor McGonagall had reached the point she was most anxious to discuss, the real reason she had been waiting on a cold, hard wall all day, for neither as a cat nor as a woman had she fixed Dumbledore with such a piercing stare as she did now. It was plain that whatever "everyone" was saying, she was not going to believe it until Dumbledore told her it was true. Dumbledore, however, was choosing another lemon drop and did not answer. **

"**What they're **_**saying**_**," she pressed on, "is that last night Voldemort turned up in Godric's Hollow. He went to find the Potters. **

Harry silently digested this information. As if reading his mind Sirius whispered "I'll tell you about them after the chapter." Harry nodded grateful. He could hardly wait for the chapter to be over.

**The rumor is that Lily and James Potter are — are — that they're — **_**dead**_**." **

Sirius and Remus cursed.

**Dumbledore bowed his head. Professor McGonagall gasped. **

"**Lily and James… I can't believe it… I didn't want to believe it… Oh, Albus…"**

**Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder. "I know… I know…" he said heavily. **

**Professor McGonagall's voice trembled as she went on. "That's not all. They're saying he tried to kill the Potter's son, Harry. **

Sirius put a protective arm around Harry.

**But he couldn't. He couldn't kill that little boy. No one knows why, or how, but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Harry Potter, Voldemort's power somehow broke — and that's why he's gone." **

**Dumbledore nodded glumly. **

"**It's — it's **_**true**_**?" faltered Professor McGonagall. "After all he's done… all the people he's killed… he couldn't kill a little boy? It's just astounding… of all the things to stop him… but how in the name of heaven did Harry survive?"**

"Yeah I'd like to know that too," Kingsley said what everyone was thinking.

"**We can only guess." said Dumbledore. "We may never know." **

"Do you know, sir?" Harry asked him speaking directly to him for the first time.

" I have a dozen theories but each one could be wrong."

"Right" said Harry. That wasn't really an answer.

**Professor McGonagall pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes beneath her spectacles. Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took a golden watch from his pocket and examined it. It was a very odd watch. It had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving around the edge. It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because he put it back in his pocket and said, "Hagrid's late. I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way?" **

"**Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "And I don't suppose you're going to tell me **_**why **_**you're here, of all places?" **

"Why are you there?" inquired Tonks

" You will see" sighed McGonagall.

"**I've come to bring Harry to his aunt and uncle. They're the only family he has left now." **

"**Was that such a good idea?" asked Molly. She feared for the poor. kind boy in front of her.**

Dumbledore was thoughtful. He looked down at the young man. He wondered what type of childhood he had.

"**You don't mean – you **_**can't **_**mean the people who live **_**here**_**?" cried Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four. "Dumbledore — you can't. I've been watching them all day. You couldn't find two people who are less like us. And they've got this son — I saw him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets. Harry Potter come and live here!" **

"**It's the best place for him," said Dumbledore firmly. "His aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's older. I've written them a letter." **

"A letter? I don't think you can explain this in a letter, sir" Remus muttered quite angry. He could not believe the man he idolised so much could do something like this.

"**A letter?" repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on the wall. "Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a letter?**

"See McGonagall agrees with me!"

**These people will never understand him! He'll be famous — a legend — I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter day in the future — there will be books written about Harry — every child in our world will know his name!" **

Hay cringed. He hoped that he isn't really that famous; He could never really stand attention and wasn't going to start now.

"**Exactly." said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. "It would be enough to turn any boy's head. Famous before he can walk and talk! Famous for something he won't even remember! Can you see how much better off he'll be, growing up away from all that until he's ready to take it?" **

"I see your point" Kingsley acknowledged.

**Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed, and then said, "Yes — yes, you're right, of course. But how is the boy getting here, Dumbledore?" She eyed his cloak suddenly as though she thought he might be hiding Harry underneath it. **

Everybody laughed

"**Hagrid's bringing him." **

"**You think it —**_**wise **_**— to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?"**

"I would trust him" piped in Harry. All the women beamed at him.

"**I would trust Hagrid with my life," said Dumbledore. **

"**I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place," said Professor McGonagall grudgingly, "but you can't pretend he's not careless. He does tend to — what was that?" **

**A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of a headlight; it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky — and a huge motorcycle fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them. **

"That is mine" exclaimed Sirius proudly. Bill looked at him admiringly "Sweet, where did you get it?"

"Don't you dare give him ideas Sirius Black" and Sirius cowered away from Molly's glare.

**If the motorcycle was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so **_**wild **_**— long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of trash can lids, and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins. In his vast, muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets.**

"There's you Harry!"Pointed out Tonks brightly.

"**Hagrid," said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. "At last. And where did you get that motorcycle?" **

"**Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir," said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorcycle as he spoke. "Young Sirius Black lent it to me. I've got him, sir."**

"**No problems, were there?" **

"**No, sir — house was almost destroyed, but I got him out all right before the Muggles started swarmin' around. He fell asleep as we was flyin' over Bristol."**

"Aw," Molly cooed, Harry turned red.

**Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby boy, fast asleep. Under a tuft of jet-black hair over his forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning.**

"Aw," all the girls repeated, and Harry prayed there wasn't much more embarrassing stuff in the book.

"**Is that where —?" whispered Professor McGonagall.**

"**Yes," said Dumbledore. "He'll have that scar forever."**

"Neat scar "said Tonks. Thanks said Harry. It was the only part of his appearance he actually liked.

"**Couldn't you do something about it, Dumbledore?" **

"**Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in handy. I have one myself above my left knee that is a perfect map of the London Underground. Well — give him here, Hagrid — we'd better get this over with." **

**Dumbledore took Harry in his arms and turned toward the Dursleys' house. **

"**Could I — could I say good-bye to him, sir?" asked Hagrid. He bent his great, shaggy head over Harry and gave him what must have been a very scratchy, whiskery kiss. Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a wounded dog. **

Everybody smiled at Hagrid's behaviour.

"**Shhh!" hissed Professor McGonagall, "You'll wake the Muggles!" **

"**S-s-sorry," sobbed Hagrid, taking out a large, spotted handkerchief and burying his face in it. "But I c-c-can't stand it —Lily an' James dead — an' poor little Harry off ter live with Muggles —" **

"**Yes, yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip on yourself, Hagrid, or we'll be found," Professor McGonagall whispered, patting Hagrid gingerly on the arm as Dumbledore stepped over the low garden wall and walked to the front door. He laid Harry gently on the doorstep, took a letter out of his cloak, tucked it inside Harry's blankets, and then came back to the other two.**

"You left him on a doorstep," bellowed Sirius. Remus was equally as furious.

Everybody even Snape couldn't believe it. Harry himself was quite shocked.

"Would have taken too long to actually ring the doorbell" Remus said spitefully still quite upset.

The two professors looked down in shame.

**For a full minute the three of them stood and looked at the little bundle; Hagrid's shoulders shook, Professor McGonagall blinked furiously, and the twinkling light that usually shone from Dumbledore's eyes seemed to have gone out. **

"**Well," said Dumbledore finally, "that's that. We've no business staying here. We may as well go and join the celebrations." **

"**Yeah," said Hagrid in a very muffled voice, "I best get this bike away. G'night, Professor McGonagall — Professor Dumbledore, sir." **

**Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself onto the motorcycle and kicked the engine into life; with a roar it rose into the air and off into the night. **

"**I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall," said Dumbledore, nodding to her. Professor McGonagall blew her nose in reply. **

**Dumbledore turned and walked back down the street. On the corner he stopped and took out the silver Put-Outer. He clicked it once, and twelve balls of light sped back to their street lamps so that Privet Drive glowed suddenly orange and he could make out a tabby cat slinking around the corner at the other end of the street. He could just see the bundle of blankets on the step of number four. **

"**Good luck, Harry," he murmured. He turned on his heel and with a swish of his cloak, he was gone. **

**A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. Harry Potter rolled over inside his blankets without waking up. One small hand closed on the letter beside him and he slept on, not knowing he was special, not knowing he was famous, not knowing he would be woken in a few hours' time by Mrs. Dursley's scream as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles, nor that he would spend the next few weeks being prodded and pinched by his cousin Dudley… He couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: "To Harry Potter — the boy who lived!"**

"Interesting chapter." Sirius said glaring at his old professors.

Everyone was silent until Dumbledore offered them all refreshments. While sipping their tea and eating some biscuits Remus and Sirius described everything they knew about Harry's parents with an occasional help from others. Harry's brain felt like it was going to burst.

A little while later Ron and Harry ended up talking. At first it was really awkward and Charlie spotting it came over. "Ron, why don't you tell Harry all about Quidditch?" Ron's face lit up and they began and animated discussion. Soon after Dumbledore called them all to order. "Who would like to read next?"

" I will" said Moody to the surprise of everybody but no one said a word


	3. The Vanishing Glass

_A/N Sorry it took so long to update. I just finished exams :D so I will have a lot more time to write. It also takes forever to type out the actual book :( Thanks for everybody who reviewed:__xdiamondsxarexshinyx__ ,__smores503__, __bandgeek216__, __drew50538__, __Twilightwithlove__,__Susly__, __Meme's Stargate__, __Riddles of the Werewolf__, __glistening moon__, __Red Moon Ninja__, __Pinkbismuth__ Everybody was really niece. If anybody wants to beta this story just pm me_

**The Vanishing Glass,**" Moody read

**Nearly ten years had passed since the Dursleys had woken up to find their nephew on the front step,**

"Hmm" Sirius glared at Dumbledore clearly not forgiving him.

**but Privet Drive had hardly changed at all. The sun rose on the same tidy front gardens and lit up the brass number four on the Dursleys' front door; it crept into their living room, which was almost exactly the same as it had been on the night when Mr. Dursley had seen that fateful news report about the owls. Only the photographs on the mantelpiece really showed how much time had passed. Ten years ago, there had been lots of pictures of what looked like a large pink beach ball wearing different-colored bonnets — but Dudley Dursley was no longer a baby, and now the photographs showed a large blond boy riding his first bicycle, on a carousel at the fair, playing a computer game with his father, being hugged and kissed by his mother. The room held no sign at all that another boy lived in the house, too. **

Molly looked sadly at Harry though he did not seem that bothered about it.

**Yet Harry Potter was still there, asleep at the moment, but not for long. His Aunt Petunia was awake and it was her shrill voice that made the first noise of the day. **

"I bet that was pleasant" Kingsley said sarcasticly.

"**Up! Get up! Now!" **

**Harry woke with a start. His aunt rapped on the door again. **

"**Up!" she screeched. Harry heard her walking toward the kitchen and then the sound of the frying pan being put on the stove. He rolled onto his back and tried to remember the dream he had been having. It had been a good one. There had been a flying motorcycle in it. He had a funny feeling he'd had the same dream before.**

"It wasn't a dream Harry" said Sirius brightly.

"No shit, Sirius" Remus sighed.

**His aunt was back outside the door. **

"**Are you up yet?" she demanded. **

"**Nearly," said Harry. **

"**Well, get a move on, I want you to look after the bacon. And don't you dare let it burn, I want everything perfect on Duddy's birthday." **

**Harry groaned. **

"Why?" asked Bill who loved to celebrate birthdays.

"You'll see" is all Harry said.

"**What did you say?" his aunt snapped through the door. **

"**Nothing, nothing…" **

**Dudley's birthday — how could he have forgotten? Harry got slowly out of bed and started looking for socks. He found a pair under his bed and, after pulling a spider**

Ron shuddered

Fred and George nearly wet themselves with laughter remembering where Ron's fear came from. Bill, Charlie and Ginny were giggling. Surprisingly Percy stood up for Ron and told the others to shut it.

"It's not funny it was really cruel" said Percy.

Fred looked ashamed of himself and mumbled a quick apology to Ron.

**off one of them, put them on. Harry was used to spiders, because the cupboard under the stairs was full of them, and that was where he slept. **

There was a general outcry of rage e coming from the room.

"WHAT?" Sirius and Remus screamed.

McGonagall looked ready to go and kill the Dursleys and Molly looked like she was going to join her.

Snape hid his surprise. He always thought the Famous Harry Potter would be spoilt like his father.

Tonks, Arthur, Moody and Kingsley looked Disgusted, how could anybody treat a child like that?

The Weasley children were all shocked. Though they didn't have a lot of money they all had warm comfortable rooms.

Harry was puzzled. He didn't understand why everybody was so mad.

Dumbledore had his eyes closed and regretted even further his decision to leave Harry with his Aunt and Uncle.

Why didn't you tell anybody "questioned Tonks softly.

Harry Shrugged" I never had anybody to tell?"

Molly totally broke down and started crying. Harry looked concerned and asked if she was okay?

"I'm fine dear" Molly said dabbing at her eyes.

"Sorry " Harry apologised

"You don't have anything to apologise for Harry , the Dursleys however..." growled Sirius while everybody nodded their heads in agreement.

Seeing the glum look on Harry's face Sirius pulled him into a hug.

Harry was embarrassed but secretly pleased. The first hug he could ever remember!

After a while Moody began to read again

**When he was dressed he went down the hall into the kitchen. The table was almost hidden beneath all Dudley's birthday presents. It looked as though Dudley had gotten the new computer he wanted, not to mention the second television and the racing bike.**

"They really do spoil him rotten" exclaimed Arthur "He's going to be ruined"

**Exactly why Dudley wanted a racing bike was a mystery to Harry, as Dudley was very fat and hated exercise — unless of course it involved punching somebody.**

**Dudley's favorite punching bag was Harry, but he couldn't often catch him. Harry didn't look it, but he was very fast**.

**Perhaps it had something to do with living in a dark cupboard, but Harry had always been small and skinny for his age. **

"No Harry your Dad was scrawny to" chuckled Remus

"Hey"

"It's true" agreed Sirius."

**He looked even smaller and skinnier than he really was because all he had to wear were old clothes of Dudley's, and Dudley was about four times bigger than he was. Harry had a thin face, knobby knees, black hair,**

"Just like your dad" said McGonagall sadly.

**and bright green eyes.**

"But you have your mother's eyes"

**He wore round glasses held together with a lot of Scotch tape because of all the times Dudley had punched him on the nose. The only thing Harry liked about his own appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead that was shaped like a bolt of lightning. **

"It is pretty cool" Tonks said admiringly

**He had had it as long as he could remember, and the first question he could ever remember asking his Aunt Petunia was how he had gotten it. **

"**In the car crash when your parents died," she had said.**

"Lily didn't die in a car crash!" Snape was absolutely livid.

Fortunately everybody was to angry to notice him.

"**And don't ask questions." **

**Don't ask questions — that was the first rule for a quiet life with the Dursleys.**

"How are you suppose to learn?" Percy said indignantly

**Uncle Vernon entered the kitchen as Harry was turning over the bacon. **

"**Comb your hair!" he barked, by way of a morning greeting.**

"That's not going to work " singsonged Sirius

"Yeah" agreed Kingsley "Every time I saw James his hair was all over the place"

**About once a week, Uncle Vernon looked over the top of his newspaper and shouted that Harry needed a haircut. Harry must have had more haircuts than the rest of the boys in his class put together, but it made no difference, his hair simply grew that way — all over the place. **

"See"

**Harry was frying eggs by the time Dudley arrived in the kitchen with his mother. Dudley looked a lot like Uncle Vernon. He had a large pink face, not much neck, small, watery blue eyes, and thick blond hair that lay smoothly on his thick, fat head. **

"Attractive" said Ginny.

"Yeah do you fancy him Ginny" teased George

"I'm sure Harry will set you up" laughed Fred

Ginny's face turned red.

"That is enough boys" said Mr Weasley sternly.

**Aunt Petunia often said that Dudley looked like a baby angel — Harry often said that Dudley looked like a pig in a wig. **

"Ha Good one Harry!" congratulated Bill.

**Harry put the plates of egg and bacon on the table, which was difficult as there wasn't much room. Dudley, meanwhile, was counting his presents. His face fell. **

"Oh no what is it?" said Tonks in fake concern

"**Thirty-six," he said, looking up at his mother and father. "That's two less than last year." **

"Merlin, what a spoil brat," Moody growled.

"**Darling, you haven't counted Auntie Marge's present, see, it's here under this big one from Mummy and Daddy." **

"**All right, thirty-seven then," said Dudley, going red in the face. Harry, who could see a huge Dudley tantrum coming on, began wolfing down his bacon as fast as possible in case Dudley turned the table over. **

**Aunt Petunia obviously scented danger, too, because she said quickly, "And we'll buy you another two presents while we're out today. How's that, popkin? Two more presents. Is that all right?" **

"That is no way to deal with the situation," McGonagall said looking appalled. "She's just going to make him worst."

**Dudley thought for a moment. It looked like hard work. Finally he said slowly, "So I'll have thirty… thirty…" **

"He can't even count" stated Snape in amazement.

"**Thirty-nine, sweetums," said Aunt Petunia.**

"**Oh." Dudley sat down heavily and grabbed the nearest parcel. "All right then." **

**Uncle Vernon chuckled. **

"**Little tyke wants his money's worth, just like his father. 'Atta boy, Dudley!" He ruffled Dudley's hair. **

**At that moment the telephone rang and Aunt Petunia went to answer it while Harry and Uncle Vernon watched Dudley unwrap the racing bike, a video camera, a remote control airplane, sixteen new computer games, and a VCR. **

**He was ripping the paper off a gold wristwatch when Aunt Petunia came back from the telephone looking both angry and worried. **

"**Bad news, Vernon," she said. "Mrs. Figg's broke her leg. She can't take him."**

"I think I have heard her name before" said Molly.

"She works for the order" said Dumbledore "She is an old friend of mine."

**She jerked her head in Harry's direction. **

**Dudley's mouth fell open in horror, but Harry's heart gave a leap. Every year on Dudley's birthday, his parents took him and a friend out for the day, to adventure parks, hamburger restaurants, or the movies. Every year, Harry was left behind with Mrs. Figg, a mad old lady who lived two streets away. Harry hated it there. The whole house smelled of cabbage and Mrs. Figg made him look at photographs of all the cats she'd ever owned. **

"Well I thought if she was one of us she would have treated Harry better!" huffed Remus.

"**Now what?" said Aunt Petunia, looking furiously at Harry as though he'd planned this. Harry knew he ought to feel sorry that Mrs. Figg had broken her leg, but it wasn't easy when he reminded himself it would be a whole year before he had to look at Tibbles, Snowy, Mr. Paws, and Tufty again. **

"**We could phone Marge," Uncle Vernon suggested. **

"**Don't be silly, Vernon, she hates the boy."**

"They don't even say your name" Tonks said horrified.

**The Dursleys often spoke about Harry like this, as though he wasn't there — or rather, as though he was something very nasty that couldn't understand them, like a slug. **

"That's horrendous how did you last?"

"**What about what's-her-name, your friend — Yvonne?" **

"**On vacation in Majorca," snapped Aunt Petunia. **

"**You could just leave me here," Harry put in hopefully (he'd be able to watch what he wanted on television for a change and maybe even have a go on Dudley's computer).**

"That would probably too fun for you " Tonks said bitterly.

**Aunt Petunia looked as though she'd just swallowed a lemon. **

"**And come back and find the house in ruins?" she snarled. **

"What are you going to blow it up?" asked Ron

"**I won't blow up the house," said Harry, but they weren't listening.**

"Looks like great minds think a like " said Ron.

"**I suppose we could take him to the zoo," said Aunt Petunia slowly, "… and leave him in the car…" **

"What is he, a dog?" Said Arthur crossly.

"There is nothing wrong with Dogs" said Sirius.

"Quite right" agreed Dumbledore looking at Sirius.

"Howw did you know "stuttered Sirius while Remus laughed.

Dumbledore just smiled

"**That car's new, he's not sitting in it alone…" **

**Dudley began to cry loudly. In fact, he wasn't really crying — it had been years since he'd really cried — but he knew that if he screwed up his face and wailed, his mother would give him anything he wanted. **

"**Dinky Duddydums, **

Everyone laughed, "I can't believe she actually calls him that."

"I almost feel sorry for him," Charlie laughed.

**don't cry, Mummy won't let him spoil your special day!" she cried, flinging her arms around him. **

"**I… don't… want… him… t-t-to come!" Dudley yelled between huge, pretend sobs. "He always sp-spoils everything!" He shot Harry a nasty grin through the gap in his mother's arms. **

"I don't feel so sorry anymore," said Charlie.

**Just then, the doorbell rang — "Oh, good Lord, they're here!" said Aunt Petunia frantically — and a moment later, Dudley's best friend, Piers Polkiss, walked in with his mother. **

**Piers was a scrawny boy with a face like a rat. **

All the order member's faces darkened at the mention of a rat.

**He was usually the one who held people's arms behind their backs while Dudley hit them. Dudley stopped pretending to cry at once. **

"He's such a Loser" exclaimed George

"George" reprimanded Molly.

**Half an hour later, Harry, who couldn't believe his luck, was sitting in the back of the Dursleys' car with Piers and Dudley, on the way to the zoo for the first time in his life. His aunt and uncle hadn't been able to think of anything else to do with him, but before they'd left, Uncle Vernon had taken Harry aside.**

"You better not hurt him" threatened Sirius.

"Your such an idiot Black" sneered Snape" First of all your talking to a book and secondly this has already happened."

"Shut it Snivellus " Retorted Sirius

Snape's face went pale and he pulled out his wand and Sirius did the same.

"Sit down" Ordered Dumbledore in a calm voice

"**I'm warning you," he had said, putting his large purple face right up close to Harry's, "I'm warning you now, boy — any funny business, anything at all — and you'll be in that cupboard from now until Christmas." **

Remus looked murderous.

"**I'm not going to do anything," said Harry, "honestly…" **

**But Uncle Vernon didn't believe him. No one ever did.**

**The problem was, strange things often happened around Harry and it was just no good telling the Dursleys he didn't make them happen. **

**Once, Aunt Petunia, tired of Harry coming back from the barbers looking as though he hadn't been at all, had taken a pair of kitchen scissors and cut his hair so short he was almost bald except for his bangs, which she left "to hide that horrible scar." Dudley had laughed himself silly at Harry, who spent a sleepless night imagining school the next day, where he was already laughed at for his baggy clothes and taped glasses.**

**Next morning, however, he had gotten up to find his hair exactly as it had been before Aunt Petunia had sheared it off. **

**He had been given a week in his cupboard for this, even though he had tried to explain **

"That's ridiculous" Tonks declared " In the Muggle world you can't control ho fast your hair grows."

**Another time, Aunt Petunia had been trying to force him into a revolting old sweater of Dudley's (brown with orange puff balls). **.

**The harder she tried to pull it over his head, the smaller it seemed to become, until finally it might have fitted a hand puppet, but certainly wouldn't fit Harry. **

**Aunt Petunia had decided it must have shrunk in the wash and, to his great relief, Harry wasn't punished. **

"Aw we love when we don't get caught!" sighed Fred and George dreamily not noticing the glares Molly was giving them.

**On the other hand, he'd gotten into terrible trouble for being found on the roof of the school kitchens. Dudley's gang had been chasing him as usual when, as much to Harry's surprise as anyone else's, there he was sitting on the chimney. **

"Woo you flew" admired Ron "Without a broom."

**The Dursleys had received a very angry letter from Harry's headmistress telling them Harry had been climbing school buildings. But all he'd tried to do (as he shouted at Uncle Vernon through the locked door of his cupboard) was jump behind the big trashcans outside the kitchen doors. Harry supposed that the wind must have caught him in mid-jump. **

"not a very clever excuse, Prongslet." Sniggered Sirius

"Prongslet?"

Remus explained to him "We called your dad Prongs so when you were born we started to call you Prongslet"

Harry grinned.

**But today, nothing was going to go wrong. It was even worth being with Dudley and Piers to be spending the day somewhere that wasn't school, his cupboard, or Mrs. Figg's cabbage-smelling living room. **

**While he drove, Uncle Vernon complained to Aunt Petunia. He liked to complain about things: people at work, Harry, the council, Harry, the bank, and Harry were just a few of his favourite subjects. **

"Well he doesn't like to complain about you at all!" Kingsley muttered sarcastically.

**This morning, it was motorcycles.**

"… **roaring along like maniacs, the young hoodlums," he said, as a motorcycle overtook them. **

"**I had a dream about a motorcycle," said Harry, remembering suddenly. "It was flying." **

"Wow you remembered " said McGonagall impressed.

"** Uncle Vernon nearly crashed into the car in front. He turned right around in his seat and yelled at Harry, his face like a gigantic beet with a moustache: "MOTORCYCLES DON'T FLY!" **

**Dudley and Piers sniggered. **

"**I know they don't," said Harry. "It was only a dream." **

**But he wished he hadn't said anything. If there was one thing the Dursleys hated even more than his asking questions, it was his talking about anything acting in a way it shouldn't, no matter if it was in a dream or even a cartoon — they seemed to think he might get dangerous ideas. **

"Hmm seems like they're the ones with dangerous ideas! Locking a boy up in a cupboard" said Moll bitterly.

**It was a very sunny Saturday and the zoo was crowded with families. The Dursleys bought Dudley and Piers large chocolate ice creams at the entrance and then, because the smiling lady in the van had asked Harry what he wanted before they could hurry him away, they bought him a cheap lemon ice pop. **

**It wasn't bad, either, Harry thought, licking it as they watched a gorilla scratching its head who looked remarkably like Dudley, except that it wasn't blond. **

The room exploded with laughter.

"Good one Harry!" Laughed Ginny.

**Harry had the best morning he'd had in a long time. He was careful to walk a little way apart from the Dursleys so that Dudley and Piers, who were starting to get bored with the animals by lunchtime, wouldn't fall back on their favorite hobby of hitting him. **

**They ate in the zoo restaurant, and when Dudley had a tantrum because his knickerbocker glory didn't have enough ice cream on top, Uncle Vernon bought him another one and Harry was allowed to finish the first. **

**Harry felt, afterward, that he should have known it was all too good to last.**

"I have a bad feeling. " Arthur said worriedly.

**After lunch they went to the reptile house. It was cool and dark in there, with lit windows all along the walls. Behind the glass, all sorts of lizards and snakes were crawling and slithering over bits of wood and stone. Dudley and Piers wanted to see huge, poisonous cobras and thick, man-crushing pythons. Dudley quickly found the largest snake in the place. It could have wrapped its body twice around Uncle Vernon's car and crushed it into a trash can — but at the moment it didn't look in the mood. In fact, it was fast asleep. **

**Dudley stood with his nose pressed against the glass, staring at the glistening brown coils. **

"**Make it move," he whined at his father. Uncle Vernon tapped on the glass, but the snake didn't budge. **

"Rudeness" muttered McGonagall "The poor animal isn't on this earth for there amusement."

"I didn't know you liked Snakes professor ? "teased Charlie "I always thought you were more of a lion women"

Everybody laughed and even McGonagall couldn't suppress a smile.

"**Do it again," Dudley ordered. Uncle Vernon rapped the glass smartly with his knuckles, but the snake just snoozed on. **

"**This is boring," Dudley moaned. He shuffled away. **

"Thank Merlin he is so annoying!"

**Harry moved in front of the tank and looked intently at the snake. He wouldn't have been surprised if it had died of boredom itself — no company except stupid people drumming their fingers on the glass trying to disturb it all day long. It was worse than having a cupboard as a bedroom, where the only visitor was Aunt Petunia hammering on the door to wake you up; at least he got to visit the rest of the house. **

All the women smiled at the considerate and kind boy.

**The snake suddenly opened its beady eyes. Slowly, very slowly, it raised its head until its eyes were on a level with Harry's. **

**It winked.**

"What " asked everybody in shock.

"Can snakes even wink " asked Bill.

"Well apparently they can" murmured Arthur.

**Harry stared. Then he looked quickly around to see if anyone was watching. They weren't. He looked back at the snake and winked, too. **

**The snake jerked its head toward Uncle Vernon and Dudley, then raised its eyes to the ceiling. It gave Harry a look that said quite plainly: **

"**I get that all the time." **

"**I know," Harry murmured through the glass, though he wasn't sure the snake could hear him. "It must be really annoying." **

**The snake nodded vigorously. **

"Are you parselmouth Harry?" asked Remus.

"Yeah, why is there something wrong with that?"

"Well it is a trait associated with bad wizards but we don't care do we Sirius" Remus said nudging Sirius with his elbow.

"Of course not prongslet!"

"**Where do you come from, anyway?" Harry asked. **

**The snake jabbed its tail at a little sign next to the glass. Harry peered at it. **

**Boa Constrictor, Brazil. **

"**Was it nice there?" **

**The boa constrictor jabbed its tail at the sign again and Harry read on: This specimen was bred in the zoo. "Oh, I see — so you've never been to Brazil?"**

**As the snake shook its head, a deafening shout behind Harry made both of them jump. "DUDLEY! MR. DURSLEY! COME AND LOOK AT THIS SNAKE! YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT IT'S DOING!" **

**Dudley came waddling toward them as fast as he could. **

"**Out of the way, you," he said, punching Harry in the ribs. Caught by surprise, Harry fell hard on the concrete floor. **

"Evil git "exclaimed Ron and everybody agreed with him.

**What came next happened so fast no one saw how it happened — one second, Piers and Dudley were leaning right up close to the glass, the next, they had leapt back with howls of horror. **

"Oh what happened? " asked the teenagers in anticipation.

**Harry sat up and gasped; the glass front of the boa constrictor's tank had vanished.**

"Good one mate" said Ron high fiving him.

Harry had a huge grin on his face as did everybody else even Snape who tried in vain the hide it.

**The great snake was uncoiling itself rapidly, slithering out onto the floor. People throughout the reptile house screamed and started running for the exits. **

**As the snake slid swiftly past him, Harry could have sworn a low, hissing voice said, "Brazil, here I come… Thanksss, amigo." **

**The keeper of the reptile house was in shock. **

"**But the glass," he kept saying, "where did the glass go?" **

"It was very impressive Magic" chuckled Dumbledore.

**The zoo director himself made Aunt Petunia a cup of strong, sweet tea while he apologized over and over again. Piers and Dudley could only gibber. As far as Harry had seen, the snake hadn't done anything except snap playfully at their heels as it passed, but by the time they were all back in Uncle Vernon's car, Dudley was telling them how it had nearly bitten off his leg, while Piers was swearing it had tried to squeeze him to death. But worst of all, for Harry at least, was Piers calming down enough to say, "Harry was talking to it, weren't you, Harry?"**.

"Idiot" groaned Bill and his mother was to busy worrying for Harry to scold him.

**Uncle Vernon waited until Piers was safely out of the house before starting on Harry. He was so angry he could hardly speak. He managed to say, "Go — cupboard — stay — no meals," **

"No meals, that's abuse" McGonagall was furious but due to Harry's reed face decided not to go on.

Snape saw how wrong he was about the boy and felt very sorry for his horrible childhood.

**before he collapsed into a chair, and Aunt Petunia had to run and get him a large brandy. **

**Harry lay in his dark cupboard much later, wishing he had a watch. He didn't know what time it was and he couldn't be sure the Dursleys were asleep yet. Until they were, he couldn't risk sneaking to the kitchen for some food. **

"** He'd lived with the Dursleys almost ten years, ten miserable years, as long as he could remember, ever since he'd been a baby and his parents had died in that car crash. He couldn't remember being in the car when his parents had died. Sometimes, when he strained his memory during long hours in his cupboard, he came up with a strange vision: a blinding flash of green light and a burning pain on his forehead. **

"You remember it "whispered Sirius.

"Not really just the light and the pain" muttered Harry looking at the floor.

**This, he supposed, was the crash, though he couldn't imagine where all the green light came from. He couldn't remember his parents at all. **

**His aunt and uncle never spoke about them, and of course he was forbidden to ask questions. There were no photographs of them in the house. **

**When he had been younger, Harry had dreamed and dreamed of some unknown relation coming to take him away, but it had never happened; **

Sirius and Remus were wishing they could have been there for Harry.

**the Dursleys were his only family. Yet sometimes he thought (or maybe hoped) that strangers in the street seemed to know him. Very strange strangers they were, too. **

**A tiny man in a violet top hat had bowed to him once while out shopping with Aunt Petunia and Dudley. After asking Harry furiously if he knew the man, Aunt Petunia had rushed them out of the shop without buying anything. A wild-looking old woman dressed all in green had waved merrily at him once on a bus. A bald man in a very long purple coat had actually shaken his hand in the street the other day and then walked away without a word. The weirdest thing about all these people was the way they seemed to vanish the second Harry tried to get a closer look. **

"They should be more careful" said Moody half heartedly not in the humour to lecture.

**At school, Harry had no one. Everybody knew that Dudley's gang hated that odd Harry Potter in his baggy old clothes and broken glasses, and nobody liked to disagree with Dudley's gang.**

Nobody said anything for a while until Moody asked who will read next.

Tonks offered to read hopping the next chapter would be a good one.


	4. Letters from no one

A/N Thanks for all the lovely reviews. They really made my day and encouraged me to write. Thanks especially to Red Moon Ninja for their lovely encouragement and kind words. On a more random note do you know a five syllable word for beautiful? First person who gets it I will dedicate the next chapter to. Credit for Harry's nickname goes to jlmill9 and if you haven't read her stories I recommend you do.

**Letters From No One**

"Letters From No One "Tonks read "How can you get letters from no one?"

"It's probably something to do with his Hogwarts letter" Kingsley mused.

**The escape of the Brazilian boa constrictor earned Harry his longest-ever punishment. **

Several people looked angry at this.

**By the time he was allowed out of his cupboard again, the summer holidays had started**

"Did they let you go to school?" asked Sirius in a deadly calm voice.

"No" was Harry's quite reply.

"What did they say to people when they asked where you where?"

"Nobody did"

Sirius was beside himself with anger. How could anybody treat his kind and innocent Godson like that? The Dursleys are absolute monsters.

Harry who thought Sirius was angry at him was distraught, he was so used to people being angry at him he didn't care anymore but he hated that this man who he barely knew but was coming to respect was mad at him.

**and Dudley had already broken his new video camera, crashed his remote control airplane, and, first time out on his racing bike, knocked down old Mrs. Figg as she crossed Privet Drive on her crutches. **

"Awful child "grunted Moody

Most people were surprised to hear a comment like that form Moody.

"No respect for elders! And elders are an authority figure and when people don't respect authority figures, a whole system falls apart" Moody ranted

**Harry was glad school was over, but there was no escaping Dudley's gang, who visited the house every single day. Piers, Dennis, Malcolm, and Gordon were all big and stupid, but as Dudley was the biggest and stupidest of the lot, he was the leader. **

"Great tactic "Snape said rolling his eyes.

**The rest of them were all quite happy to join in Dudley's favourite sport: Harry Hunting. **

**This was why Harry spent as much time as possible out of the house, wandering around and thinking about the end of the holidays, where he could see a tiny ray of hope. When September came he would be going off to secondary school and, for the first time in his life, he wouldn't be with Dudley. Dudley had been accepted at Uncle Vernon's old private school, Smeltings. Piers Polkiss was going there too. Harry, on the other hand, was going to Stonewall High, the local public school. **

"Actually you are not Prongslet" declared Sirius gleefully

"Yeah you are coming to Hogwarts" bellowed Fred

"We are going to have so much fun pranking you and Ron we can't wait until you get here!" exclaimed George brightly.

Harry couldn't help laughing despite his worry besides Sirius didn't seem to be mad at him.

Ron was also pleased to be included by the twins and delighted that they wanted him to come to Hogwarts. His beaming smile didn't go unnoticed by Molly who nudged her husband and they both were glad their boys would get along.

**Dudley thought this was very funny. **

"Yeah well we think you're funny" laughed the twins

"**They stuff people's heads down the toilet the first day at Stonewall," he told Harry. "Want to come upstairs and practice?" **

"**No, thanks," said Harry. "The poor toilet's never had anything as horrible as your head down it — it might be sick." Then he ran, before Dudley could work out what he'd said. **

**One day in July, Aunt Petunia took Dudley to London to buy his Smeltings uniform, leaving Harry at Mrs. Figg's. **

"Tough luck, Harry" groaned Tonks

"It wasn't too bad that time" admitted Harry.

**Mrs. Figg wasn't as bad as usual. It turned out she'd broken her leg tripping over one of her cats, and she didn't seem quite as fond of them as before. She let Harry watch television and gave him a bit of chocolate cake that tasted as though she'd had it for several years. **

**That evening, Dudley paraded around the living room for the family in his brand-new uniform. Smeltings' boys wore maroon tailcoats, orange knickerbockers, and flat straw hats called boaters. They also carried knobbly sticks, used for hitting each other while the teachers weren't looking. This was supposed to be good training for later life. **

"How on earth is that supposed to be good training for later life?" asked Remus dismayed at the idea

**As he looked at Dudley in his new knickerbockers, Uncle Vernon said gruffly that it was the proudest moment of his life. Aunt Petunia burst into tears and said she couldn't believe it was her Ickle Dudleykins, he looked so handsome and grown-up. Harry didn't trust himself to speak. He thought two of his ribs might already have cracked from trying not to laugh. **

**There was a horrible smell in the kitchen the next morning when Harry went in for breakfast. It seemed to be coming from a large metal tub in the sink. He went to have a look. The tub was full of what looked like dirty rags swimming in gray water. **

"Gross" said Ginny

"**What's this?" he asked Aunt Petunia. Her lips tightened as they always did if he dared to ask a question. **

Remus huffed at that, no questions!

"**Your new school uniform," she said. **

"Poor you" said Tonks sympathetically.

**Harry looked in the bowl again. **

"**Oh," he said, "I didn't realize it had to be so wet."**

"Funny Harry, but I doubt the witch gets sarcasm" said Remus

"**Don't be stupid," snapped Aunt Petunia. "I'm dying some of Dudley's old things gray for you. It'll look just like everyone else's when I've finished." **

"Told you so"

"Would you like a medal for that?" teased Tonks

**Harry seriously doubted this, but thought it best not to argue. **

**He sat down at the table and tried not to think about how he was going to look on his first day at Stonewall High — like he was wearing bits of old elephant skin, probably. **

**Dudley and Uncle Vernon came in, both with wrinkled noses because of the smell from Harry's new uniform. Uncle Vernon opened his newspaper as usual and Dudley banged his Smelting stick, which he carried everywhere, on the table. **

**They heard the click of the mail slot and flop of letters on the doormat. **

"**Get the mail, Dudley," said Uncle Vernon from behind his paper. **

"**Make Harry get it." **

"**Get the mail, Harry." **

"**Make Dudley get it." **

"**Poke him with your Smelting stick, Dudley." **

**Harry dodged the Smelting stick and went to get the mail. Three things lay on the doormat: a postcard from Uncle Vernon's sister Marge, who was vacationing on the Isle of Wight, a brown envelope that looked like a bill and— **_**a letter for Harry**_**. **

"I think it's your Hogwarts letter" Sirius who was bursting with excitement and pride nudged Harry.

Tonks and Remus were laughing particularly hard at Sirius.

"Is he always like this" she inquired.

"Most of the time" Remus sighed but looked fondly at Sirius.

**Harry picked it up and stared at it, his heart twanging like a giant elastic band. No one, ever, in his whole life, had written to him. Who would? He had no friends, no other relatives — he didn't belong to the library, so he'd never even got rude notes asking for books back. Yet here it was, a letter, addressed so plainly there could be no mistake: **

_**Mr. H. Potter **_

_**The Cupboard under the Stairs 4 Privet Drive **_

_**Little Whinging **_

_**Surrey**_

**The envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment, and the address was written in emerald-green ink. **

**There was no stamp. **

**Turning the envelope over, his hand trembling, Harry saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake surrounding a large letter **_**H**_**. **

"The Hogwarts Crest" remarked Dumbledore.

"**Hurry up, boy!" shouted Uncle Vernon from the kitchen. "What are you doing, checking for letter bombs?" He chuckled at his own joke. **

"It wasn't very funny" stated Charlie.

**Harry went back to the kitchen, still staring at his letter. **

"Don't do that Potter!" Snape warned surprising even himself "They will take it off you!"

**He handed Uncle Vernon the bill and the postcard, sat down, and slowly began to open the yellow envelope. **

**Uncle Vernon ripped open the bill, snorted in disgust, and flipped over the postcard. **

"**Marge's ill," he informed Aunt Petunia. "Ate a funny whelk…" **

"**Dad!" said Dudley suddenly. "Dad, Harry's got something!" **

"Tell tale" mocked Ginny.

"Very mature Gin" smirked Bill

Ginny responded by sticking her tongue out at him.

**Harry was on the point of unfolding his letter,**

**which was written on the same heavy parchment as the envelope, when it was jerked sharply out of his hand by Uncle Vernon. **

"**That's **_**mine**_**!" said Harry, trying to snatch it back. **

"That's it Harry, Don't go down without a fight" encouraged the Twins.

"**Who'd be writing to you?" sneered Uncle Vernon, shaking the letter open with one hand and glancing at it. His face went from red to green faster than a set of traffic lights. And it didn't stop there. Within seconds it was the greyish white of old porridge. **

"Doesn't he sound handsome" said Kingsley sarcastically.

"**P-P-Petunia!" he gasped. **

**Dudley tried to grab the letter to read it, but Uncle Vernon held it high out of his reach. Aunt Petunia took it curiously and read the first line. For a moment it looked as though she might faint. She clutched her throat and made a choking noise. **

"**Vernon! Oh my goodness — Vernon!"**

**They stared at each other, seeming to have forgotten that Harry and Dudley were still in the room. Dudley wasn't used to being ignored. He gave his father a sharp tap on the head with his Smelting stick. **

"**I want to read that letter," he said loudly. **.

"What an earth gives him the right to read it?" demanded McGonagall

"_**I **_**want to read it," said Harry furiously, "as it's **_**mine**_**." **

"Valid point! Pity they won't listen" sighed Remus.

"**Get out, both of you," croaked Uncle Vernon, stuffing the letter back inside its envelope. **

**Harry didn't move. **

"Go Harry "cheered all the Children.

"**I WANT MY LETTER!" he shouted.**.

"**Let **_**me **_**see it!" demanded Dudley. **

"**OUT!" roared Uncle Vernon, and he took both Harry and Dudley by the scruffs of their necks and threw them into the hall, slamming the kitchen door behind them. Harry and Dudley promptly had a furious but silent fight over who would listen at the keyhole; Dudley won, so Harry,**

**his glasses dangling from one ear, lay flat on his stomach to listen at the crack between door and floor. **

"**Vernon," Aunt Petunia was saying in a quivering voice, "look at the address — how could they possibly know where he sleeps? You don't think they're watching the house?" **

Snape snorted "We have better things to be doing with our time than spy on you!"

"**Watching — spying — might be following us," muttered Uncle Vernon wildly.**

"**But what should we do, Vernon? Should we write back? Tell them we don't want —" **

**Harry could see Uncle Vernon's shiny black shoes pacing up and down the kitchen. **

"**No," he said finally. "No, we'll ignore it. If they don't get an answer… Yes, that's best… we won't do anything…" **

"It's not going to work" grinned Tonks.

"**But —" **

"**I'm not having one in the house, Petunia! Didn't we swear when we took him in we'd stamp out that dangerous nonsense?"**

**That evening when he got back from work, Uncle Vernon did something he'd never done before; he visited Harry in his cupboard. **

Sirius growled at the mention of the cupboard where his godson had to sleep for eleven years.

"**Where's my letter?" said Harry, the moment Uncle Vernon had squeezed through the door. "Who's writing to me?" **

"How did he fit?" asked Ron

"He didn't really" said Harry "He kinda got stuck in the doorframe.

"**No one. It was addressed to you by mistake," said Uncle Vernon shortly. **

"**I have burned it." **

"**It was **_**not **_**a mistake," said Harry angrily, "it had my cupboard on it." **

"**SILENCE!" yelled Uncle Vernon, and a couple of spiders fell from the ceiling. **

**He took a few deep breaths and then forced his face into a smile, which looked quite painful. **

"At least it was painful" Said Tonks optimistically.

"**Er — yes, Harry — about this cupboard. Your aunt and I have been thinking… you're really getting a bit big for it… we think it might be nice if you moved into Dudley's second bedroom. **

"WHAT?" screamed Molly "Their brat of a son has two rooms and you sleep in a cupboard."

Sirius' anger was beyond words and he had a glint in his eyes that made him look like he should be locked in Azkaban.

Remus was enraged and truly looked like a werewolf.

"**Why?" said Harry. **

"Why are you questioning it?" Charlie asked him incredulously.

"Because he was never nice to me before and I was suspicious about why?"

"That a boy Potter!" Moody praised "Always be suspicious when your enemy suddenly turns nice."

"**Don't ask questions!" snapped his uncle. "Take this stuff upstairs, now." **

**The Dursleys' house had four bedrooms:**

Everybody was fuming at this. Sirius was about to comment but thought better of it when he saw Harry's mortified face.

**one for Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, one for visitors (usually Uncle Vernon's sister, Marge), one where Dudley slept, and one where Dudley kept all the toys and things that wouldn't fit into his first bedroom. **

McGonagall's mouth became a thin line and she could be heard muttering things like "spoilt", "brat" and "like to see him come to Hogwarts, I'll show him some manners!"

People were staring at her in shock but she was too infuriated to notice.

**It only took Harry one trip upstairs to move everything he owned from the cupboard to this room. He sat down on the bed and stared around him. Nearly everything in here was broken. The month-old video camera was lying on top of a small, working tank Dudley had once driven over the next door neighbour's dog; in the corner was Dudley's first-ever television set, which he'd put his foot through when his favourite program had been cancelled; there was a large birdcage, which had once held a parrot that Dudley had swapped at school for a real air rifle, which was up on a shelf with the end all bent because Dudley had sat on it. Other shelves were full of books. They were the only things in the room that looked as though they'd never been touched. **

"Shame "said Dumbledore wistfully "Knowledge is our greatest power and reading is a great source of knowledge. "

**From downstairs came the sound of Dudley bawling at his mother, "I don't **_**want **_**him in there… I **_**need **_**that room… make him get out…"**

"Brat!" glared the twins

**Harry sighed and stretched out on the bed. Yesterday he'd have given anything to be up here. Today he'd rather be back in his cupboard with that letter than up here without it. **

"Oh don't worry about it Harry, there will be plenty more" Remus said cheerfully.

**Next morning at breakfast, everyone was rather quiet. Dudley was in shock. He'd screamed, whacked his father with his Smelting stick, been sick on purpose, kicked his mother, and thrown his tortoise through the greenhouse roof, and he still didn't have his room back. Harry was thinking about this time yesterday and bitterly wishing he'd opened the letter in the hall. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia kept looking at each other darkly. **

**When the mail arrived, Uncle Vernon, who seemed to be trying to be nice to Harry, made Dudley go and get it. **

"I doubt he was being nice" said Kinsley darkly.

"** They heard him banging things with his Smelting stick all the way down the hall. Then he shouted, "There's another one! 'Mr. H. Potter, The Smallest Bedroom, 4 Privet Drive —'"**

**With a strangled cry, Uncle Vernon leapt from his seat and ran down the hall, Harry right behind him. Uncle Vernon had to wrestle Dudley to the ground to get the letter from him, which was made difficult by the fact that Harry had grabbed Uncle Vernon around the neck from behind. **

"Way to go Harry" cheered all the children.

**After a minute of confused fighting, in which everyone got hit a lot by the Smelting stick, Uncle Vernon straightened up, gasping for breath, with Harry's letter clutched in his hand. **

"**Go to your cupboard — I mean, your bedroom," he wheezed at Harry. "Dudley — go — just go." **

**Harry walked round and round his new room. Someone knew he had moved out of his cupboard and they seemed to know he hadn't received his first letter. Surely that meant they'd try again? And this time he'd make sure they didn't fail. He had a plan. **

"Oh no" groaned Molly "That sounds like something my boys would do." Despite her disapproving tone Molly stared at each of her boys fondly. All of her red haired boys looked sheepish.

"Well I'm proud" said a delighted Sirius," It better be up to Marauder standard though Harry!"

"Marauder?" questioned Harry smiling.

"Oh that's what I, your father and Remus called ourselves when we were at school" Sirius informed Harry proudly.

Remus also smiled fondly while Snape glared daggers at the two of them.

**The repaired alarm clock rang at six o'clock the next morning. Harry turned it off quickly and dressed silently. He mustn't wake the Dursleys. He stole downstairs without turning on any of the lights. **

**He was going to wait for the postman on the corner of Privet Drive and get the letters for number four first. His heart hammered as he crept across the dark hall toward the front door **

"**AAAAARRRGH!" **

"Oh no what happened" asked Tonks worriedly "Were you hurt ?"

"It wasn't me that got hurt" Harry chuckled.

The twins sat forward in anticipation.

**Harry leapt into the air; he'd trodden on something big and squashy on the doormat — something **_**alive**_**! **

"Ha you stood on Vernon. No way." gasped Fred. In fact all the children were laughing.

"Well done Harry" congratulated George.

**Lights clicked on upstairs and to his horror Harry realized that the big, squashy something had been his uncle's face. Uncle Vernon had been lying at the foot of the front door in a sleeping bag, clearly making sure that Harry didn't do exactly what he'd been trying to do. He shouted at Harry for about half an hour and then told him to go and make a cup of tea. Harry shuffled miserably off into the kitchen and by the time he got back, the mail had arrived, right into Uncle Vernon's lap. Harry could see three letters addressed in green ink. **

"**I want —" he began, but Uncle Vernon was tearing the letters into pieces before his eyes. **

**Uncle Vernon didn't go to work that day. **

**He stayed at home and nailed up the mail slot. **

"**See," he explained to Aunt Petunia through a mouthful of nails, "if they can't **_**deliver **_**them they'll just give up." **

"**I'm not sure that'll work, Vernon." **

"Listen to her, she at least knows more than you do" hissed Snape.

"**Oh, these people's minds work in strange ways, Petunia, they're not like you and me," said Uncle Vernon, trying to knock in a nail with the piece of fruitcake Aunt Petunia had just brought him. **

"Yeah like we really want to be like them." Charlie snorted sarcastically.

**On Friday, no less than twelve letters arrived for Harry. As they couldn't go through the mail slot they had been pushed under the door, slotted through the sides, and a few even forced through the small window in the downstairs bathroom. **

**Uncle Vernon stayed at home again. After burning all the letters, he got out a hammer and nails and boarded up the cracks around the front and back doors so no one could go out. He hummed "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" as he worked, and jumped at small noises. **

**On Saturday, things began to get out of hand. Twenty-four letters to Harry found their way into the house, rolled up and hidden inside each of the two-dozen eggs that their very confused milkman had handed Aunt Petunia through the living room window. While Uncle Vernon made furious telephone calls to the post office and the dairy trying to find someone to complain to, Aunt Petunia shredded the letters in her food processor.**

"Merlin, your family's really messed up " marvelled Ron " Your lucky you didn't turn out mental."

"Ronald" scolded Ms Weasley.

Harry just went crimson.

"**Who on earth wants to talk to **_**you **_**this badly?" Dudley asked Harry in amazement.**

"A lot of people actually "said Ginny.

"Yeah don't you write him a letter everyday Ginny " grinned Fred.

A scarlet Ginny was glaring at him while everybody else laughed.

**On Sunday morning, Uncle Vernon sat down at the breakfast table looking tired and rather ill, but happy. **

"**No post on Sundays," he reminded them cheerfully as he spread marmalade on his newspapers, **

"Actually I'm sure Mr Dursley will find that the day of the week doesn't affect our postal service" Dumbledore informed them with a smile.

**"no damn letters today —" **

"You jinxed it now" Ron said in a matter of fact voice.

**Something came whizzing down the kitchen chimney as he spoke and caught him sharply on the back of the head. Next moment, thirty or forty letters came pelting out of the fireplace like bullets. The Dursleys ducked, but Harry leapt into the air trying to catch one — **

"**Out! OUT!" **

**Uncle Vernon seized Harry around the waist and threw him into the hall.**

"Don't you dare hurt him" growled Remus who at that time clearly resembled a wolf.

**When Aunt Petunia and Dudley had run out with their arms over their faces, Uncle Vernon slammed the door shut. They could hear the letters still streaming into the room, bouncing off the walls and floor. **

"**That does it," said Uncle Vernon, trying to speak calmly but pulling great tufts out of his mustache at the same time. "I want you all back here in five minutes ready to leave. We're going away. Just pack some clothes. No arguments!" **

**He looked so dangerous with half his moustache missing that no one dared argue. Ten minutes later they had wrenched their way through the boarded-up doors and were in the car, speeding toward the highway. Dudley was sniffling in the back seat; his father had hit him round the head for holding them up while he tried to pack his television, VCR, and computer in his sports bag. **

**They drove. And they drove. Even Aunt Petunia didn't dare ask where they were going. Every now and then Uncle Vernon would take a sharp turn and drive in the opposite direction for a while. **

"**Shake 'em off… shake 'em off," he would mutter whenever he did this.**

"You have to admire his style "Moody said appreciatively.

Everybody stared at him in astonishment.

"Yeah he is officially mental "Tonks laughed cheekily.

**They didn't stop to eat or drink all day. By nightfall Dudley was howling. He'd never had such a bad day in his life. He was hungry, he'd missed five television programs he'd wanted to see, and he'd never gone so long without blowing up an alien on his computer. **

"There are so many things wrong with that child " McGonagall said grouchily.

**Uncle Vernon stopped at last outside a gloomy-looking hotel on the outskirts of a big city. Dudley and Harry shared a room with twin beds and damp, musty sheets. Dudley snored but Harry stayed awake, sitting on the windowsill, staring down at the lights of passing cars and wondering… **

**They ate stale cornflakes and cold tinned tomatoes on toast for breakfast the next day.**

"That sounds horrible!" A look of disgust crossed Ron's face.

**They had just finished when the owner of the hotel came over to their table. **

"'**Scuse me, but is one of you Mr. H. Potter? Only I got about an 'undred of these at the front desk." **

**She held up a letter so they could read the green ink address: **

_**Mr. H. Potter **_

_**Room 17 **_

_**Railview Hotel **_

_**Cokeworth **_

**Harry made a grab for the letter but Uncle Vernon knocked his hand out of the way. The woman stared. **

"**I'll take them," said Uncle Vernon, standing up quickly and following her from the dining room. **

"**Wouldn't it be better just to go home, dear?" Aunt Petunia suggested timidly, hours later, but Uncle Vernon didn't seem to hear her.**

"Listen to her she's the voice of reason" advised Kingsley.

**Exactly what he was looking for, none of them knew. He drove them into the middle of a forest, got out, looked around, shook his head, got back in the car, and off they went again. The same thing happened in the middle of a plowed field, halfway across a suspension bridge, and at the top of a multilevel parking garage. **

"**Daddy's gone mad, hasn't he?" Dudley asked Aunt Petunia dully late that afternoon. **

"Even his son can see it " pointed out Bill.

**Uncle Vernon had parked at the coast, locked them all inside the car, and disappeared. **

**It started to rain. Great drops beat on the roof of the car. Dudley sniveled. **

"**It's Monday," he told his mother. "The Great Humberto's on tonight. I want to stay somewhere with a **_**television**_**." **

**Monday. This reminded Harry of something. If it **_**was **_**Monday — and you could usually count on Dudley to know the days the week, because of television — then tomorrow, Tuesday, was Harry's eleventh birthday. **

"Happy Birthday " chorused the Weasley children.

"Obviously it's not his birthday." Sneered Snape.

"Shut it Snivillous " snapped Sirius " Oh Harry I'll have to get you a present!"

"You don't have to " said a bashful harry.

"Yes I do " Sirius said delightedly.

**Of course, his birthdays were never exactly fun — last year, the Dursleys had given him a coat hanger and a pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks. **

Everybody looked furious at that.

**Still, you weren't eleven every day. **

"No your not " Beamed Ms. Weasley.

**Uncle Vernon was back and he was smiling. **

**He was also carrying a long, thin package and didn't answer Aunt Petunia when she asked what he'd bought. **

"**Found the perfect place!" he said. "Come on! Everyone out!" **

**It was very cold outside the car. Uncle Vernon was pointing at what looked like a large rock way out at sea. Perched on top of the rock was the most miserable little shack you could imagine. One thing was certain, there was no television in there. **

"At least the git will be miserable as well" sighed Charlie

"**Storm forecast for tonight!" said Uncle Vernon gleefully, clapping his hands together. "And this gentleman's kindly agreed to lend us his boat!" **

**A toothless old man came ambling up to them, pointing, with a rather wicked grin, at an old rowboat bobbing in the iron-gray water below them. **

"**I've already got us some rations," said Uncle Vernon, "so all aboard!" **

**It was freezing in the boat. Icy sea spray and rain crept down their necks and a chilly wind whipped their faces. After what seemed like hours they reached the rock, where Uncle Vernon, slipping and sliding, led the way to the broken-down house. **

**The inside was horrible; it smelled strongly of seaweed, the wind whistled through the gaps in the wooden walls, and the fireplace was damp and empty. There were only two rooms. **

**Uncle Vernon's rations turned out to be a bag of chips each and four bananas. **

Ron made a face.

**He tried to start a fire but the empty chip bags just smoked and shriveled up. **

"**Could do with some of those letters now, eh?" he said cheerfully.**

**He was in a very good mood. Obviously he thought nobody stood a chance of reaching them here in a storm to deliver mail. **

**Harry privately agreed, though the thought didn't cheer him up at all. **

"Don't worry Harry a storms not going to stop them getting you a letter." Reassured Bill.

**As night fell, the promised storm blew up around them. Spray from the high waves splattered the walls of the hut and a fierce wind rattled the filthy windows. Aunt Petunia found a few moldy blankets in the second room and made up a bed for Dudley on the moth-eaten sofa. She and Uncle Vernon went off to the lumpy bed next door, and Harry was left to find the softest bit of floor he could and to curl up under the thinnest, most ragged blanket.**

Molly looked like she was going to cry. Imagine making anyone sleep like that. He must have been so cold and it was nearly his birthday too. Molly vowed she would take Harry underneath her win and treat him like her own son.

**The storm raged more and more ferociously as the night went on. Harry couldn't sleep. He shivered and turned over, trying to get comfortable, his stomach rumbling with hunger. Dudley's snores were drowned by the low rolls of thunder that started near midnight. The lighted dial of Dudley's watch, which was dangling over the edge of the sofa on his fat wrist, told Harry he'd be eleven in ten minutes' time. He lay and watched his birthday tick nearer, wondering if the Dursleys would remember at all, wondering where the letter writer was now.**

"Actually it's an enchanted quill" Dumbledore told him.

**Five minutes to go. Harry heard something creak outside. He hoped the roof wasn't going to fall in, although he might be warmer if it did. **

The twins snickered at that.

**Four minutes to go. Maybe the house in Privet Drive would be so full of letters when they got back that he'd be able to steal one somehow. **

**Three minutes to go. Was that the sea, slapping hard on the rock like that? And (two minutes to go) what was that funny crunching noise? Was the rock crumbling into the sea? **

**One minute to go and he'd be eleven. Thirty seconds… twenty… ten… nine — maybe he'd wake Dudley up, just to annoy him **

"**Do it!"**

— **three… two… one… **

**BOOM. **

Tonks yelled this very loudly and everybody jumped with fright.

**The whole shack shivered and Harry sat bolt upright, staring at the door. Someone was outside, knocking to come in.**

"Who is it ?" questioned Ginny.

"I believe I know who it is," smirked McGonagall "You will just have to wait and see."


End file.
